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Communication apparatus and control method thereof

a technology of communication apparatus and control method, which is applied in the field of communication apparatus, can solve the problems of complicated operation of switching between cameras, inconvenient operation, and user inability to smoothly switch between the cameras to be controlled

Active Publication Date: 2017-04-25
CANON KK
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention allows a user to easily switch between an embedded camera and an external camera without having to manually change settings. This allows for separate usage of cameras for different situations, making it more convenient and efficient for users.

Problems solved by technology

Accordingly, in some cases, a user cannot smoothly switch between the cameras to be controlled.
Moreover, although a built-in camera is scarcely used when using an external camera, the operation of switching between cameras is complicated and inconvenient.

Method used

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  • Communication apparatus and control method thereof
  • Communication apparatus and control method thereof
  • Communication apparatus and control method thereof

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0022]A system in which a smartphone that is a kind of a mobile phone and a digital camera are applied respectively as a communication apparatus according to the present invention and as an external image capturing apparatus and connected via a network will be described. Note that in the present embodiment, the digital camera is assumed as an external image capturing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and is applicable to, for example, a camera-equipped mobile phone and smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer having a WEB camera, a stationary image capturing apparatus such as a monitoring camera, and the like.

[0023]Configuration of Digital Camera 100

[0024]The configuration and functions of a digital camera 100 according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1.

[0025]In FIG. 1, a photographing lens 102 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focusing lens. A shutter 103 has a diaphragm functi...

second embodiment

[0120]Next, a digital camera 100 and a camera application of a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0121]FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a smartphone 200 according to the second embodiment, and the same configurations as in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0122]Hereinafter, a description will be given with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

[0123]In addition to a rear camera module for shooting a subject that is visible to a photographer, a front camera module (referred to as “front camera” below) for shooting a photographer him- or herself and a subject on the photographer side is mounted on the smartphone 200 of the present embodiment. The rear camera includes a first image capturing system comprising a photographing lens 202, a shutter 203 and an image capturing unit 204, and the front camera includes a second image capturing system comprising a photographing lens 232, a shutter 233, and an image capturing unit 234. The r...

third embodiment

[0171]The first and second embodiments as described above enable shooting to be performed suitably for different situations with regard to use cases shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3D. However, as for a use case shown in FIG. 3C, it is possible that the above first and second embodiments do not allow shooting suitable for different situations to be performed. As for the use case shown in FIG. 3C, it is not usually the case that the smartphone 200 is carried with a camera unit 300 mounted thereon as the remote camera, and it is generally mounted only when performing shooting using the remote camera. However, the procedures in FIG. 4A to 4B require as long as 20 seconds until connection is established.

[0172]In the case where the user wishes to switch between the use cases of FIGS. 3A and 3D and the use case of FIG. 3C suitably for different shooting situations and the like, it is desirable that connection with the remote camera is established in advance and the controlled object of the came...

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PUM

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Abstract

A communication apparatus having a first image capturing unit and a second image capturing unit that is different from the first image capturing unit, comprises a communication unit which communicates with an external image capturing apparatus and a switching unit which switches an image capturing mode. When communication with the external image capturing apparatus is not established, the switching unit switches between a first mode in which an image is captured by controlling the first image capturing unit and a second mode in which an image is captured by controlling the second image capturing unit, and when communication with the external image capturing apparatus is established, the switching unit switches between the first mode and a third mode in which an image is captured by remotely controlling the external image capturing apparatus.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a technique for remotely controlling an external image capturing apparatus using a communication apparatus.[0003]Description of the Related Art[0004]Recent communication apparatuses such as mobile phones, and smartphones which are a kind of mobile phone are equipped with, in addition to an ordinary camera (rear camera) for shooting a subject on the subject side, a camera (front camera) for shooting the photographer him- or herself or a subject on a photographer side. A user of the communication apparatus can shoot images suitably for different shooting situations and the like by switching between use of the rear camera and the front camera.[0005]Additionally, a technique of using a communication function of a mobile phone to connect not only a camera built-in the mobile phone but also another camera, and perform remote control (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-096166) and a technique in w...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H04N5/232H04N5/225H04N1/00H04N7/18
CPCH04N5/23206H04N1/00H04N5/2258H04N5/23245H04N5/23293H04N7/18H04N7/185H04N23/45H04N23/661H04N23/667H04N23/632
Inventor KIMURA, MASAHIKO
Owner CANON KK
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